Epistle Reading: Acts 19:1-8
And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul,
having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some
disciples
he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you
believed?" And they said to him, "We have not so much as heard whether
there is a Holy Spirit."
And he said to them, "Into what then were you baptized?" So
they said, "Into John's baptism."
Then Paul said, "John indeed baptized with a baptism of
repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would
come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus."
When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the
Lord Jesus.
And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon
them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.
Now the men were about twelve in all.
And he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three
months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of
God.
Epistle Reading: Ephesians 4:7-13
But to each one of us grace was given according to the
measure of Christ's gift.
Therefore He says: "When He ascended on high, He led
captivity captive, and gave gifts to men."
(Now this, "He ascended"; what does it mean but that He
also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?
He who descended is also the One who ascended far above
all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)
And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets,
some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry,
for the edifying of the body of Christ,
till we all come to the unity of the faith and the
knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the
stature of the fullness of Christ;
Gospel Reading: John 1:29-34
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "
Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
"This is He of whom I said, 'After me comes a Man who is
preferred before me, for He was before me.'
"I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel,
therefore I came baptizing with water."
And John bore witness, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending
from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him.
"I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water
said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him,
this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'
"And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God."
Gospel Reading: Matthew 4:12-17
Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He
departed to Galilee.
And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which
is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali,
that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the
prophet, saying:
"The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of
the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles:
the people who sat in darkness saw a great light, and upon
those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned."
From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent,
for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
Saints and Feasts
Synaxis of St. John the Baptist; Synaxis of John the Holy Glorious Prophet, Baptist, & Forerunner; Afterfeast of the Theophany of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ
